Phone Interview

Tuan Nguyen

CS100W

de la Calle

September 16, 2016

Phone Interviews

Landing a phone interview may sound as if you may land your dream job lazing around the house. However, phone interviews may actually be harder than an in-person interview. Although you may lounge around in your pajamas, you lose the advantage of a sit-down interview where you can use your physical attributes to your advantage, and recognize immediately how your chemistry works out with your potential employer. Phone interviews may sound easier, however, the candidate must work even harder to stand out to prove that they are the perfect candidate (Gillis).

            To prepare for a phone interview, it takes preparation like an in-person interview. Without any research about the company, any candidate would fail to answer any questions that the employer may have retaining to the company. From experience, many employers tailor their questions to find the perfect candidate who practices the company’s values. Research the company to see how they are performing and what they specialize in (Gillis). By showing knowledge of the company, it shows the employer that you are serious about this position.

            During the phone interview, be prepared to answer some questions. Have your resume and cover letter handy in order to reference back to it if necessary. Be honest, give examples, but keep it simple. It is important to keep your answers short and simple so the employer can remember your answer. Use verbal cues by avoiding filler words such as, “Uhm” and “Yeah,” and at the end of your response, make it clear that your response ended by repeating back the original question in the form of a statement (Finley).

            Lastly, study common interview questions. Although it is not guaranteed that the employer will ask these questions, it is better to be over-prepared than underprepared. Jot down notes and create a cheat sheet for yourself (Gillis). Include questions and answers that you struggle most with in order to answer that question more smoothly if asked.

At the end of the interview, most employers will ask if you have any questions for them. Tailor these questions to yourself. Ask yourself what you are looking for in a company and tailor your questions to that answer (Finley). This is the time to get to know what type of company this company is, and whether or not you would be interested in working for them with the answers the employers gave you.  Remember, employers look for confident and honest answers. By following the tips mentioned above, there should be no problem in advancing to the next round of interviews.

            

 References

Finley, K. (n.d.). Why Phone Interviews Are So Hard-and How to Ace Them Anyway. Retrieved September 16, 2016, from https://www.themuse.com/advice/why-phone-interviews-are-so-hardand-how-to-ace-them-anyway

Gillis, J. (2015, June). 8 Phone Interview Tips That Will Land You A Second Interview. Retrieved September 16, 2016, from http://theinterviewguys.com/phone-interview-tips/